Wednesday, September 24, 2003

If the project is to continue, others in the community will have to take it on. I will make myself available in an "advisory capacity" and for mentoring for those who get involved - so that they (you?) won't have to reinvent everything for themselves.

What You Can Do

Following this message, I'll be sending a description of
There are various tasks/jobs involved in running the Network as it is today. If you are at all interested in working on the project, please email me at activist@activist.ca and I'll add you to the project organizing email list.

A community discussion event in Calgary is in the works to look at the future of this project. Watch for an announcement on that in the weeks ahead.

Background

I started the "Calgary Activism" website and email lists over four years ago, in August of 1999. In January of 2000, I joined with an Arusha committee that was hoping to revive the old "Network" newsletter (activist events and group listings). That's when we renamed the project the "Calgary Activist Network".

I find now that my energy for the project is dwindling - in no small part because I have taken most of the work on it for just myself. It's simply too much for one person to do. While I still have many ideas and opinions about the project, change is needed or the Network will stagnate. It's time for me to move on and let folks with other perspectives and ideas take charge of the project.

It's also important to end my virtual-dictatorship of the Network and put it more directly in the hands of the community in the form of a 'democratic collective'.

Thanks

While it's true that I have done much of the work on the project, some major thanks are due to the folks who have provided support and input over the years - a number of people have contributed their efforts and perspectives to advancing and improving the Network.

In particular, I want to thank Gerald Wheatley who has been a substantial source of support, vision, and key in getting the bulk of the funding that has come in for the project.

Thanks also to the many people and groups who have made use of the project - it has been inspiring to see such a diverse range of activism going on!

Note that my 'retirement' will not affect the various email list services, and individual activist group websites, that I host.

Thanks to all who have participated in, and used, this project over the years,
Grant NeufeldOutgoing Director of the Activist Network